Kingsbrae Folk Art Exhibit - 2012 (The Artists)

by Jantje Blokhuis-Mulder

UPDATED (see new artist below).

I've been busy organizing this second annual event and am happy to say...

Here are the artists who are participating in the 2012 Kingsbrae Garden Folk Art Exhibit.

BRIAN ALLEN ADAMS - St. Andrews, NB 

Brian Allen Adams is a Canadian Folklore painter. From his studio in St. Andrews, Brian commits to canvas his unique images of the spirit of Canada. Brian is also an avid collector of folk art and has spent the last 30 years collecting and studying the Canadian evolution of folk art. Brian*s paintings transport the viewer to places we all know exist but few of us have ever seen.

JANTJE BLOKHUIS-MULDER - St. Andrews, NB

Jantje Blokhuis-Mulder has been making and creating art for nearly 50 years. Her work reflects her seaside surroundings and her colourful gameboards, collages, paintings, woodburnings and sculptures can be found in collections around the world. In addition to making art, Jantje writes about folk art, giving creative souls a voice. Jantje is passionate about arts education and is co-founder of KinderArt.com and the creator of the Sunbury Shores CLASS Program.

DOUG DORKEN - Chester, NS

Doug Dorken uses but one piece of wood, skillfully directing chisel and knife so that figures and landscape seem to emerge from within. Depending on the piece, he may use kiln-dried pine, poplar, or "sea-seasoned" wood to create his relief carvings. Following in the footsteps of his shipwright father, Doug took up carving in 1994 after retiring from a career in the navy.

LORAIN EBBETT RIDEOUT - Central NB

Lorain Ebbett Rideout is a self-taught artist who lives in central New Brunswick. She works with stone and wood and is influenced by texture. Lorain works mainly with acrylics and each piece is an experiment in creating art from the everyday.

HOLLY EVERETT - Parker's Cove, NS

Holly Everett was raised in a small Nova Scotia fishing village and today resides nearby with her husband, two children and a shih Tzu. Her interest in painting began after buying her mother an art kit as a birthday present. After spending many years in the accounting field, Holly  found her true self and when not outdoors exploring, her family can always find her splashing colours across  canvases.

CHRISTIN LAMBERT - Deer Island, NB

Born in St. Stephen, Christin Lambert grew up on Deer Island until a recent move took her to Fredericton. Entirely self-taught, she has been painting the people and scenery around her from the time she was able to hold a brush.

BEATRICE MCFADDEN - Pointe-du-Chene, NB 

Beatrice McFadden was born in 1932 - one of 13 children. The family lived in Harrisville N.B. where farming and logging were a way of life. Always drawn to art, she encouraged her own children to create, but she didn't start painting until her son Paul McFadden, a well known folk artist, convinced her take it up a few years ago.  She began painting regularly after the passing of her husband.

MAUREEN NEWMAN - Granville Ferry, NS 

Maureen Newman grew up in the Annapolis Valley. She draws inspiration for her paintings from her love of rural Nova Scotia. Driven by a desire for a "simpler life", Maureen and husband Robert retired,  leaving behind successful careers in the IT industry. With no formal training, she began painting in 2006. Maureen is a grandniece (by marriage) of Nova Scotia folk artist Maud Lewis.

MARK O'DELL - St. Stephen, NB

Mark O'Dell enjoys carving items out of wood, using a chainsaw. He also participates in quieter endeavours, like painting.

LEO NARCISSE ROBICHAUD - Shediac, NB

Leo "Narcisse" Robichaud was born in St. Charles, NB and for twenty-two years worked for BASF. When the company restructured Leo drove a school bus until his retirement. It was a job he enjoyed and in fact, you will find a bus in many of his paintings. In 2003, Leo was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Shortly after, he began painting and was quoted as saying, "When I paint I can block everything out and focus on what I am creating at that moment, it*s good therapy.* Leo is an amazing man and is truly blessed to have found art as a way of expression. But sadly, the paintings on display are among his final works. Unfortunately Leo has been institutionalized since his disease has advanced to the point of dementia. His wife Marie-Mai has graciously shared his work with you so that others may enjoy what gave her husband such pleasure, and in this way his memory will carry on.

MARY CORMIER - Shediac, NB

Mary Cormier (age 72), is a younger sister to Beatrice McFadden. Her work depicts specific events and memories from her youth and present day life. She lives in the Shediac New Brunswick area.


~Jantje

Kingsbrae Folk Art Exhibit - 2012 (Sneak Peek)

Ten Maritime folk artists are on display at the Kingsbrae Garden art gallery this summer. Here is a sneak peek at the exhibit which opens officially on June 14th, 2012.

 

~Jantje

Setting up the 2012 Folk Art Show

The 2012 Folk Art show at Kingsbrae Garden will be opening soon (June 14th). Today, we were busy setting up the exhibit which will feature folk artists from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Here's a sneak peek:

Included in the show this year are:

• Brian Allen Adams
• Jantje Blokhuis Mulder
• Doug Dorken
• Lorain Ebett Rideout
• Holly Everett
• Christin Lambert
• Beatrice McFadden
• Maureen Newman
• Mark O'Dell
• Leo Narcisse Robichaud

Photos of the artist's works are coming soon...


Meanwhile, visit:  www.kingsbraegarden.com and www.artrageousnb.com

Folk Art at Kingsbrae Garden

In the Gallery at Kingsbrae Garden for the 2012 season, there will be another terrific exhibit of works by Maritime folk artists. For more information (or to be considered as an exhibiting folk artist) contact me by visiting http://folkartlife.com/contact.shtml

~Jantje

Folk Art Exhibit - Kingsbrae Garden

*For information on the 2012 Folk Art Exhibit, click HERE*

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Folk Art at Kingsbrae Garden
July 22, 2011 - October 8, 2011
Opening Reception: Friday July 22nd from 5pm to 7pm
Kingsbrae Garden Art Gallery

In addition to works from many artists from around the Maritimes, this wonderful exhibit will also include a selection of early Canadiana. Below are the artists who will be represented, along with examples of their work.

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Brian Allen Adams

St. Andrews, New Brunswick

http://www.brianallenadams.ca/

Brian Allen Adams is a Canadian Folk Lore painter. From his studio in St. Andrews, New Brunswick,  Brian commits to canvas his unique images of the spirit of Canada. Brian is also an avid collector of folk art and has spent the last 30 years collecting and studying the Canadian evolution of folk art. Brian’s paintings transport the viewer to places we all know exist but few of have seen. After graduating from Mohawk College in Ontario, Brian, worked for years for Tourism NB and later as a commercial artist. His unique form of Folk Lore Painting began about ten years ago and Brian has not stopped painting since.

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Jantje Blokhuis Mulder

St. Andrews, NB

www.jareaart.com/jantje

Jantje has been making and creating art for nearly 50 years. Her work reflects her seaside surroundings and her colourful gameboards, collages, paintings, woodburnings and sculptures can be found in collections around the world. In addition to making art, Jantje writes about folk art, giving creative souls a voice. Jantje loves working with young people and sees the enormous impact art makes on the lives of children. She is passionate about arts education and is co-founder of KinderArt.com and the creator of the Sunbury Shores CLASS Program. 

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Shelagh Duffett

Halifax, Nova Scotia

http://www.duffettfolkart.com/

Shelagh Duffet lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She loves all that life has to offer and this shows in all of her vibrant paintings. This Nova Scotia mother has earned a place in the lives and hearts of folk art lovers worldwide.  Shelagh’s depictions of animals and scenic surroundings make our world a nicer place to live in. Working from her dining room table, Shelagh is a prolific painter. Her colourful images bring a smile to those who are lucky enough to own them.

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Maud Lewis (1903-1970)*

Yarmouth, NS

*Work will be on display only during the opening reception.

Maud Lewis was born in Yarmouth County, and endured many hardships in her early life. As a teenager, she started to experience deformities of her face and hands as a result of a childhood disease. Maud married Everett Lewis, and together they lived in a small one-room house with sleeping loft, without benefit of electricity or plumbing. Although she suffered from physical handicaps, she made hand drawn Christmas cards and later, small brightly coloured paintings, which she sold to help overcome their poverty. She also painted birds, flowers and butterflies on various parts of the tiny house in which they lived, and many articles within the house. In later years, her husband Everett also began to paint. Examples of Maud's art can be found in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, which has reconstructed her house and installed it in the gallery as part of a permanent Maud Lewis exhibit. Her work can also be found in the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

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Beatrice McFadden

Pointe-du-Chene, New Brunswick

www.geocities.com/~oldtruck/beate.htm

Beatrice McFadden was born in 1932 - one of 13 children. The family lived in Harrisville N.B. where farming and logging were a way of life. Beatrice loved drawing pictures as a child but did not have a great deal of opportunity for materials. As a young woman, shee married a fisherman and started her family.   Her son,  Paul McFadden, is a well known New Brunswick folk artist. Paul bought his mother some paints and brushes and prepared some masonite and asked Beatrice to paint her memories. Beatrice was hesitant but excited and said she would try. The images produced are truly wonderful and warm depictions of a time gone by.

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Maureen McIlwain

St. Andrews, New Brunswick

Maureen McIlwain is one of a group of keen rughookers, enjoying the infinite play of colours and textures, working with wool fabric and yarn to create expressions of life in all its many moods. Maureen's work is mainly of the 'primitive' style, original designs with a healthy dash of whimsy.

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Holly McKay

Grand Bay-Westfield, New Brunswick

http://www.workinfolkart.com/

Born in Moncton New Brunswick, Holly McKay grew up in Truro, Nova Scotia, where the family moved when she was a child. After studying commercial art at Holland College in Prince Edward Island, Holly moved back to New Brunswick and found a home in Grand Bay – Westfield.  She then pursued a graphic design career in Saint John.  In New Brunswick, Holly soon began to rekindle her roots and her love of painting. She developed a very fun and whimsical way of describing her surroundings with her art.  Each creation causes a smile or laugh and people of all ages can relate to the subject matter. Inspiration for her work comes from animals and people who share their stories about their own experiences.

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Maureen Newman

Granville Ferry, Nova Scotia 

http://www.mnewmanfolkart.com/

Maureen Newman grew up in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. She draws inspiration for her paintings from her love of rural Nova Scotia. With a poetic sense of purpose and spiritual vision, she transforms images from her past and present into warm and inviting scenes. Maureen's paintings are full of life, as they depict the joyful countryside, providing storytelling with a brush. Driven by a desire for a "simpler life", Maureen and husband Robert retired to Nova Scotia leaving behind successful careers in the IT industry. With no formal training, she began painting in 2006. Maureen is a grandniece (by marriage) of Nova Scotia folk artist Maud Lewis.

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Joseph Norris (1924-1996)*

Lower Prospect, NS

*Work will be on display only during the opening reception. The painting shown below is not the one which will be on display.

Joe Norris is described as "the Dean of Nova Scotia folk painters" and "the Matisse of folk art". Joe spent most of his life in the small hamlet of Lower Prospect, Nova Scotia. After working in the fishing and construction trades, Joe Norris started painting when a severe heart attack forced him into early retirement in 1972. By 1975, when he was "discovered" by antique dealer Chris Huntington - he was selling paintings to local people and to the occasional tourist. His work includes painted chairs, tables and chests as well as paintings, and is found in the collections of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and in many corporate and private art collections throughout North America. A hardcover book, Joe Norris - Painted Visions of Nova Scotia, was published in 2000, in conjunction with a retrospective of his work, which toured Canada between November 2000 and March 2003.

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Joe Sleep (1914-1978)*

Sant John, NB
*Work will be on display only during the opening reception. The painting shown below is not the one which will be on display.

Joseph Sleep grew up in Saint John, New Brunswick. He worked in the fishing industry and as a jack-of-all trades, eventually going to work with the Bill Lynch Shows, a carnival which travelled through eastern Canada. He was hospitalized in 1973 and began drawing at that time. He later opened a small studio on Argyle Street in Halifax. Work by Joe Sleep is included in the collections of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Dalhousie University Art Gallery, National Gallery of Canada and the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

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For those wishing to visit the Café, Gift Shop & Art Gallery only, no admission fee to the Garden is required.

Note: Paintings from Maud Lewis, Joe Norris and Joe Sleep will only be on display during the opening reception.